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Grand Park to be one of six hubs on upcoming CicLAvia ride

Performers are expected to return to the fountain for more dancing this weekend as the Grand Park opens its final block.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Grand Park's final opening celebration this Saturday will be followed on Sunday by L.A.'s fifth CicLAvia -- which will use the newly completed, 12-acre park as one of its activity hubs.

The park's kickoff party will include dance classes, food trucks and large-scale performances that make use of each completed block. Dancers will return to the Arthur J. William Memorial Fountain at 4:30 p.m. for a choreographed show, followed by music on the Performance Lawn and "video wall greetings and pyrotechnics" on the Community Terrace. The grand finale will be when performers take to the sky for a "vertical dance," suspended hundreds of feet in the air on climbing ropes outside of City Hall.

“The completion of Grand Park marks the beginning of a new chapter for Los Angeles County and opens the door to events and gatherings that bring the community together to share the many cultures that comprise the fabric of Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina in a statement.

Approximately 100,000 people are expected at Sunday's CicLAvia, which turns 9.1 miles of city streets into a "car-free, linear park for strolling, biking, playing, and experiencing the city from a new perspective."

The route features six gathering points that also serve as entertainment epicenters for riders. This year, the Grand Park will serve as one of these hubs along with the MacArthur Park, Exposition Park, Central Plaza in Chinatown and Boyle Heights' Mariachi Plaza and Soto Station.

The completed Grand Park will stretch from Grand Avenue to Spring Street, and will host bands and DJs throughout the day on Sunday.

"This will be a wonderful time to experience this new addition to the Los Angeles culture scene!" said CicLAvia organizers in a press release.

This weekend CicLAvia is also distributing a "Guide to Architecture and Design" that's meant as a self-guided tour to some of L.A.'s most significant buildings, bridges and transit locations. The list of 27 locations is dominated by Downtown landmarks, including the Broadway Arcade Building, Caltrans headquarters and the Bradbury building. Also on the list -- the papier-mache giraffes who took up residence on 4th and Alameda earlier this summer.